Chronal Disassociation Ch. 39

When they arrived at the church, they quickly ushered themselves into their seats. On one side, where a lot of Lena’s extended family had attended. Uncles and aunts, cousins and a lot of people that she hadn’t been as close to over the years, but had still made the time to make it to the wedding. On the other side was Emily’s family, a lot of them she hadn’t actually met. All of the guests were quietly clamoring, and there was an air of excitement around it all.

The church itself was lightly decorated, with subtle floral arrangements lining the pews and soft white ribbons cascading down their edges. Emily had said that she didn’t want to take away from the already scenic view that a Roman church could provide, and so had decided to only add a handful of decor. 

Right next to the altar was where Lena stood. The priest there nodded at her with a smile, one she returned nervously. For all the confidence she had gained, she felt it all did not matter a single bit as she waited.

They were still early, maybe around ten or so minutes. That still didn’t stop Lena from working up a sweat, wondering if, small a chance it may be, Emily might bail on her. That she wasn’t good enough for this.

“Oi, shut up.” Archer’s exasperated tone ringed in her head, “I can only take so much self-deprecation for one day, and I thought you’d already gotten past that.”

‘Well sorry that I can’t help myself from-’

“Lena.” Her father had walked up to her with a wry smile. Blinking at his sudden appearance, Lena could only dumbly stare as he put his hands on her shoulders, “You know, I was exactly like you when I married your mother.”

“Dad?”

Elliot chuckled softly, his grip firm yet reassuring. His calloused thumbs, worn by years of work, gently traced circles over her shoulders. “I’m serious. Sweating through my suit, heart racing like a bloody jet engine about to overheat. I thought I’d trip walking down the aisle or forget my vows entirely.”

Lena blinked, startled by the confession. She’d never imagined her father, the ever-practical and composed Elliot, being anything less than unflappable. “You? Nervous? You’re joking.”

“Not in the slightest.” He shook his head, his smile softening into something warm, almost wistful. “I kept asking myself, ‘What if she realizes I’m not good enough? What if she changes her mind?’ But then, I looked up and saw her walking toward me. And in that moment, nothing else mattered.”

Lena swallowed hard, her throat tight as she absorbed his words. “So...what did you do? How’d you stop yourself from freaking out?”

Elliot leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a near whisper. “I reminded myself that she chose me. Out of all the blokes in the world, she picked me. And your Emily? She’s chosen you. That means something. More than the nerves, more than the doubts. Trust her, Lena. Trust yourself.”

For a moment, Lena’s eyes stung, her vision blurring as she tried to keep her composure. She nodded, not trusting herself to speak, but her father saw through her silence. With a gentle squeeze, he straightened up and brushed an invisible speck off her suit.

“Besides,” he added with a sly grin, “If you muck this up, your mum will probably have a word or two for you. And you know how she gets.”

Lena couldn’t help it, she laughed, the sound bubbling up and breaking through her tension. “Yeah, yeah, no pressure.”

As Elliot stepped back to return to his seat, Archer’s voice hummed faintly in her mind once more. “He’s right, you know. She’s chosen you, and you’re more than enough. Now stop doubting yourself, or I’ll make a snarky comment loud enough for everyone here to hear it.”

Lena snorted to herself one last time, ‘Did you put my own dad up to this, you bloody bastard?’ The pilot wouldn’t put it past Archer. Frustrating as he could be, the Spirit was a damned softie.

Surprisingly, he only gave a chuckle, “Of course not. They’re your parents. Do you really think they wouldn’t notice how you were feeling this entire time?”

Blinking at his words, Lena took a moment to finally stare back at the people on her side of the aisle. Her parents at the forefront, her father just settling in again and her mother giving her the widest smile she’d seen in a while. 

The rest of her - and yes, they were her team - sat alongside them. Angela looked close to vibrating in excitement, while Genji did his best to keep the other woman from exploding. Reinhardt was taking pictures with his phone, dwarfed as it was by his frame, with Sombra doing the same, albeit with the weird purple cybernetics that she had. Off to the side, she could spot the Lacroix couple sat with each other, talking quietly, though when Amélie spotted her looking, the other woman gave her a nod of encouragement. Finally, Winston stood next to her, his large hands clutching a tiny notepad that seemed comically small against his massive, fur-covered fingers.

Lena gave him a smile. As much as Winston tried to hide it, she’d heard him practicing parts of his speech when he thought nobody was listening. The effort that her best man was putting only served to make her more nervous, thinking about it. However, with a shuddering breath, she steeled herself. It wouldn’t do for Emily to see her panicking now, nevermind her own parents after her dad had already given her a pep talk.

She sho-

The church organs started up. Her heart leapt to her throat as all notions of calm fled from her mind. Lena barely noticed over the beating of her own heart as the guests all stood up. The tune of the wedding march continued to blare as the doors of the church opened.

Blood rushed to her face as she saw Emily.

Emily stood framed by the grand doors of the church, sunlight cascading behind her like a radiant halo. Her dress, a fitted bodice with delicate lace that traced floral patterns across her shoulders and neckline. The skirt flowed softly to the floor, its layers light and airy, with a modest train that whispered over the aisle as she walked.

Her veil, sheer and simple, framed her face, while her normally loose hair was adorned with a small silver hairpiece glinting faintly in the light. In her hands, she held a bouquet of white roses, tied together with a satin ribbon.

Lena’s breath caught as their eyes met. For a moment, the world around her melted away.

All at once, Lena could feel herself falling in love all over again.

Emily’s father walked with her all the way to the altar, though Lena almost didn’t notice, with her eyes only on her bride-to-be. Similarly, the words of the priest faded into obscurity, as did the rest of the guests. Her focus only managed to snap back into place as the priest asked them to state their vows.

That being said, her own words got caught in her throat as Lena fumbled around in her head for the words she had practiced over and over. When her mouth opened, not a sound came out, and she started to panic once more.

Her panic was short lived as Emily gave a small laugh, “I’ll go first, if you don’t mind, Lena.”

The pilot could only nod in acceptance. The redhead breathed once, and spoke once more.

“Lena, from the moment I met you, my world became brighter, louder, and so much more alive. You’ve shown me what it means to live with courage, to fight for what matters, and to laugh even when things seem impossible. You taught me to never lose hope, to never give up on what I believe in. You’re my partner, my best friend, and the woman I love. I promise to stand by you, through every mission life throws our way, to be your safe landing when the winds get rough, and to love you more with each day that passes. Today, and every day after, I choose you.”

The words hung in the air, filling Lena with warmth so potent it nearly overwhelmed her. Emily’s hand squeezed hers gently, grounding her, as if to remind her that it was her turn now.

Lena exhaled slowly, her nerves still there but softened by the radiant smile Emily wore. She still couldn’t remember her own speech, the one she had practiced. But she didn’t need to, did she? All Lena had to do was tell Emily exactly how she felt. Her heartbeat steadied.

Lena finally found her voice.

“Emily,” She started, “When I was lost, you became the reason I wanted to be found. You were the light in the darkest corners of my life, the warmth I never knew I needed. You’re the reason I’ve learned to fight, not just for myself, but for us. I can’t imagine my world without you in it. You’re my strength, my calm in the storm, my home. I promise to be there for you, every challenge, every high, every low, we’ll face them together. I’ll be there when you need me, and I’ll be there when you don’t. Today, and every day after, I love you, Emily. And I’ll never stop loving you.”

Emily was looking at her with wide, teary eyes, and for a moment, Lena thought she’d screwed up. Up until Emily grinned at her, her freckles becoming more pronounced. The priest was only starting to say ‘you may now kiss the bride’ when the both of them captured each other’s lips.

The claps and hollers had faded into the background as she continued to kiss her new wife.

…

The reception of Lena and Emily Oxton-O’Hara was, with Archer’s cooking, a resounding success. Food was served, regards for the newest couple were given, and the wedding cake was to die for. Neither Lena nor Emily had left each other for the entire night, and even as things were slowly coming to a close, the two were still nigh inseparable.

They were back on the dance floor, after having taken a bit of a break, as the last slow song played. The both of them swayed with each other, with several others in the background.

“You know,” Emily whispered, her voice a secret just for Lena, “I was so nervous earlier. The thought of this moment terrified me.”

Lena pulled her a little closer, not needing to ask why. “And now?” She asked, her lips brushing against Emily’s ear as they moved in rhythm.

“Now,” Emily replied, her hands settling around Lena’s neck, “It feels like everything’s falling into place.”

Lena smiled, pulling back just enough to look Emily in the eye. Her heart swelled with something so full it was almost unbearable. 

“I love you.” She whispered.

“I love you more.” Emily shot back with a playful grin.

Lena snorted softly, shaking her head with a mirrored grin, “Not possible.”

“Lena!” Before she could even reply, her mum came into view, clearly proud and tired in equal amounts, “Me and your father are heading back early, if that’s alright with you?” 

“Yeah, of course,” Lena replied, squeezing Emily’s hand one last time as she turned toward Clara, “Thank you for being here, Mum. I mean it.”

Her mum beamed at her, eyes glistening with a mixture of pride and something else - maybe nostalgia for times long past, “You’re my daughter, Lena. Always will be.” She paused, then added, “But don’t stay up too late, alright? There’s still tomorrow to look forward to.”

Lena rolled her eyes playfully, giving her mum a small salute, “I’ll try not to. Don’t worry, we’ve got a whole life ahead of us.”

Clara nodded, a faux stern look on her face, before perking up once again, “I almost forgot! Come on, grab your friends, I want to take a picture!”

Unable to say no to her mum, Lena and Emily did so, finding her team and dragging them over. Most were easy enough to find, with Angela and Genji together, the doctor still having the bouquet she had caught. Winston and Reinhardt were unmissable, and were more than happy to join them. Archer, who was keeping an eye on Sombra, only needed a call from Lena mentally. The only other people missing were…

“There you two are!” The Lacroix couple had been in the corner of the room, quiet as mice. That didn’t mean that their presence was unwanted though. The two had apparently spent their days out in Rome not just sightseeing, but trying, and succeeding, in getting a wedding present for the both of them, the box still waiting to be opened alongside the other gifts they had received, “C’mon Ames, get in here!”

“Ames?” Amélie blinked at the nickname, though complied nonetheless. Emily gave an exaggerated gasp.

“For shame Lena, flirting with another woman? A married one, at that?” Emily gave her a sly smile as Lena sputtered. Thankfully, Gérard seemed to take it in good spirit, much to Lena’s relief. She really didn’t want to think one of her coworkers was hitting on his wife in front of his face.

Still, as Lena’s mum took their photo, Lena was certain that things were going to be alright.

…